Airport police chief removed from post

The chief of police at Jacksonville International Airport has been removed from his post, according to the head of the officer's union and another officer.

Sederick Rivers, who held the position for almost six years, announced his termination to the force Wednesday evening.

He declined to respond to questions from the media, however, referring calls to airport management.

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority's spokesman and its interim chief executive officer did not return messages left in the early evening.

Relations between the authority's management and its 26-member police force - the lowest number employed in at least the past decade - has been rocky for the past two years, with tensions exacerbated by contentious contract negotiations in 2006.

In recent days, officers have been spooked by the authority's decision to hire a consulting firm to conduct an organization assessment of the police force, a move the officers see as a way to justify downsizing the force.

Rivers came up through the ranks, working for the department for 15 years before getting the lead job.

"It's a sad day," said Donald Green, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 85, which represents the officers. "He was making a stand for public safety and officer safety. He wouldn't give in on the reduction of officers."

timothy.gibbons@jacksonville. com,(904) 359-4103

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